GRADING NOW ON A ROLL

Food trucks begin receiving letter grades during inspections

The first round of inspections, Buonomo said, will be re-certifications that will generally be conducted at a commissary where the trucks typically park overnight and where they’re serviced and cleaned. A second round of inspections, most likely six months later, will be unannounced, she said.

Inspectors are focusing not only on cleanliness but also the proper hot and cold temperatures for refrigerated and heated foods. A holding temperature for cold and hot food, for example, must be 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below and 135 degrees or above, respectively, Buonomo explained.

Even though the initial grades will be issued following scheduled inspections, Buonomo feels the outcomes will be just as reliable as those from unannounced visits.

“Experience has shown us that even though they know the first inspection is taking place, it’s happening as they’re heading out for the day or coming back, so we do experience true conditions of their operation,” she said.

Chicho Casillas, owner of the Chubby’s food truck, said he had no trouble this week passing his inspection, which yielded him an A letter grade. He was among a group of operators who had been working with the county’s health department to get the new system in place.

“The No. 1 issue is temperatures on refrigeration and holding temperatures for your food, and making sure everything is sanitized,” said Casillas, who describes his food truck fare as a tribute to Southern California comfort food, such as shrimp nachos, Angus burgers and fried Twinkies. “We use a three-compartment sink for washing, rinsing and sanitizing, and all refrigeration is 38 degrees or below.

“The major problem before was a public perception and a restaurant industry concern that we weren’t getting inspected like a restaurant.”

Veteran food truck operator Juan Miron said he expects the new letter grades will likely force many of the mobile operations to be even more vigilant than before about how they outfit their trucks and prepare their food.

“I think it’s going to shake up the industry for the old-school trucks that sell food at construction sites and the new wave of trucks,” said Miron, whose two MIHO Gastrotrucks are used primarily for special events. “It’s really going to push people to make sure they are meeting the requirements, because before you’d just pass. But now with the letter grades, they won’t want to have a B or a C.”